Polar bears are very interesting animals. However, since most people don’t live near or encounter polar bears, most of us don’t know much about them.
As a result of our partnership with Polar Bears International, we have become more interested in these amazing creatures. We see how wonderful they are, and we take so much pride in the fact that our business can play a small role to protect them.
To help spread the word about polar bear conservation, we would like to share 10 facts about polar bears you probably didn’t know.
POLAR BEAR FACT #1: THEY HAVE 19 SUBPOPULATIONS
Polar bears are not just a single population of animals. In fact, there are 19 distinct subpopulations throughout the arctic. Of the polar bears left in the world, about 60-80% live in Canada, with just two subpopulations increasing: M’Clintock Channel and Kane Basin. With so many subpopulations under threat, people need to act fast to save the polar bear.
POLAR BEAR FACT #2: How Far Can Polar Bears Swim?
With their large, slightly webbed paws, one of the great polar bear facts is that they are great swimmers. They can swim at speeds of up to 6mph (which is faster than even the best human swimmers), and they can go for hours at a time to travel between pieces of sea ice. Polar bears have even been spotted swimming more than 60 miles offshore.
POLAR BEAR FACT #3: THEY FACE A LOT OF THREATS
While climate change is the top threat to polar bear populations, it's not the only threat they face. Climate change is leading to a lack of sea ice, and this makes it more difficult for polar bears to hunt. Along with that, oil and gas concerns are steadily moving into the arctic and this is disrupting their habitat while also increasing the risk of pollution.
POLAR BEAR FACT #4: Are Polar Bears Marine Mammals?
Since they are a species of bear, most people would assume that they are land animals like other bears. While many polar bears do spend some time on land, they spend most of their time at sea or on sea ice. That's what makes this one of the most interesting facts about polar bears: They're the only bear species to be classified as a marine mammal.
POLAR BEAR FACT #5: POLAR BEAR HUNTING SUCCESS RATE IS LOW
Many people would look at these large apex predators and assume that they have no problem catching their prey. A surprising fact about polar bears, though, is that they're only successful on less than 2% of hunts. Polar bear hunting is actually rare; they can go months without eating in the summer and then have months of binging in the spring. On average, they need to eat about one adult seal per week to survive.
POLAR BEAR FACT #6: GRIZZLY BEAR HYBRIDS DO EXIST
This is one of those fun facts about polar bears you probably never expected. Grizzly-polar bear hybrids have been found in the wild. Though rare, DNA has confirmed that the two species do occasionally mate. The offspring are referred to as “grolar bears” or “pizzly bears” (yes, we love the names, too!) and they take on an appearance that is a cross between the two.
POLAR BEAR FACT #7: HOW FAR CAN A POLAR BEAR SMELL?
The polar bear sense of smell is incredible. These predators can smell a seal on the ice up to a mile away when the wind is right, and can smell a stinky whale or seal carcass from even farther. Once they find the breathing hole, the bear will sit patiently and wait for the seal to surface before springing to action.
POLAR BEAR FACT #8: ARE POLAR BEARS ACTUALLY BLACK?
The question about "what color is a polar bear" is a good one to ask because polar bears only appear to be white. They have translucent fur that reflects all visible light. This gives the appearance of white fur, but beneath the reflective fur, a polar bear skin color is actually black.
POLAR BEAR FACT #9: How Heavy is a Polar Bear?
Weighing as much as 1700 lbs. Male polar bears are massive. This is twice as much as the largest female polar bear. At their largest, a polar bear's weight could exceed that of ten men.
POLAR BEAR FACT #10: Do Polar Bears Share food With Each Other?
With food being an issue for polar bear conservation, you would think that polar bears would be unlikely to share food. However, they have been observed sharing the meat from kills with other polar bears. And that's why it landed on our list of polar bear facts you didn't know. To ask for food, a bear will slowly approach a feeding bear and circle around the carcass. The guest bear will then approach the bear with a gentle nose-to-nose greeting to see if the other bear is willing to share.
WRAPPING UP OUR 10 FACTS ABOUT POLAR BEARS
These are just a few polar bear facts you didn’t know that we wanted to share. As you can see, these are incredible animals that can also be quite surprising. It's our duty to protect these Arctic animals and save them from extinction. If you want to make an impact on polar bear conservation, we encourage you to visit the Polar Bears International website or check out our polar bear bracelets and plushes.